KATHMANDU: As Bir Hospital celebrated the second anniversary of its kidney transplant unit today, Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, the man who kick-started an almost dead kidney transplant unit at the hospital recounted the problems he faces.
After serving six years in different hospitals in the UK, including Freeman Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Royal Liverpool Hospital, Dr Shrestha returned home two years ago with the project of setting up a Renal Transplantation Department in the country.
He found the renal transplant unit at Bir Hospital established in 2004 in a mess. But with perseverance, he and his team resumed transplant services. Although the hospital aimed to transplant 48 kidneys a year, only 39 kidneys have been transplanted in two years due to technical and administrative problems.
Dr Shrestha, who used to carry out 15 renal transplants a week in the UK said. “I am trying my best to readjust my expectations with the dismal management in the hospital.”
He doesn’t have an operation theater nor has he got enough members in his team.
“If the frustration continues, I may not get a proper platform to show my skill and will have to think of alternatives,” said Dr Shrestha.
“We borrow the operation theater from cardiology or neurology departments. If they have emergency cases, we must cancel our scheduled operation,” he said. Tissue cross-matching is not available in the country and sample tissues are sent to India, which is costly and takes four to six days to get the result, Shrestha lamented.
“We carry out operations with methods similar to those used in internationally renowned hospitals for kidney transplants. Fortunately, complication rates are less here than in those hospitals,” added Shrestha.
The international mortality rate after renal transplantation is 5 per cent, whereas it is only 2.5 per cent in Nepal, he said.
In future, Dr Shrestha hopes to build his team, open a human leukocyte antigen laboratory and establish a well-equipped renal transplant facility in the country. Previously, the only option for patients of kidney failure was to go to India. Now, Bir Hospital carries out a transplant at Rs 3.5 lakhs, which is reportedly the cheapest in the world, said Dr Shrestha.
Over 2,800 new kidney failure cases are recorded annually across the country .
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After a successful Kidney Transplant in India, you can start living a normal life. Under the observation of the top nephrologist in India, start taking a healthy diet, excises regularly, take proper medication and go for regular follow-ups.
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